Ice crushing mechanisms are known, particularly those used in refrigeration appliances. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,082,130 and 7,111,473 disclose an ice crushing mechanism in a refrigeration appliance. U.S. Pat. No. 4,123,918 discloses an ice dispensing machine with rotatable keeper elements for moving ice towards a discharge opening.
In an ice dispenser, and particularly those used in refrigeration appliances, freezer air is permitted to flow through the ice chute to the exterior of the appliance due to an open flow path through the ice dispenser, which may include an ice crushing mechanism. This causes condensation to occur on the ice chute door and in the dispenser housing. As the condensation occurs, water will begin to drip from the dispenser into the dispenser tray. This may cause the user of the appliance to believe that service is required to “fix the leak”, resulting in an unnecessary service call.
Also, the ice crushing blades are sometimes accessible from the opening of the ice dispenser chute which can lead to the entry of foreign objects into the area of the ice crushing blades, resulting in damage to the blades or the foreign object, or stalling of the motor driving the blades.
It would be an improvement in the art if there were provided an ice crushing mechanism which prevents the direct access of air from the freezer to the ice chute. Also, it would be an improvement if there were provided an ice crushing mechanism which prevents direct access to the ice crushing blades from the ice chute.